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*July 2009 COTM* SPICE: Curry Powder, Turmeric, and Fenugreek

Our Chowhound July 2009 Cookbook of the Month is Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean by Ana Sortun.

Please post your full-length recipe reviews here for dishes from Chapter Seven: Curry Powder, Turmeric, and Fenugreek, page 196 to 225. Please mention the name of the recipe you are reviewing and the page number, if possible, as well as any modifications you made to the recipe. Let us know if you would like to make the recipe again, and if you would change anything in the future, too. Photos welcome!

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This was absolutely super. If I get no other recipe from this book, this single spice would have made it a success. It’s a blend of turmeric, white pepper, ginger, cumin, salt, and sweet paprika. You rub it on any hearty fish (salmon, swordfish, tuna, bluefish, or monkfish; I used swordfish) and roast or grill. I used Rick Moonen’s technique for broiling in a cast-iron pan, which I use almost exclusively since I first tried it. And speaking of Rick Moonen, this was every bit as good as his Moroccan Spice Mix. I’ll be keeping both on hand for quick and easy preparation of many different kinds of fish.

To tell you the truth, no I couldn't. I've tasted turmeric out of the bottle so I know that it's earthy and somewhat bitter. There must be a reason, other than just color, that it's the main ingredient in most curry powders. Perhaps it has to do with a woodsy aroma?

Maybe someone who knows a lot more than I about curries and Indian cooking could jump in here? I'd love to hear how and why it became seemingly ubiquitous in certain Asian cuisines when it's stand-alone flavor really isn't all that appealing.